Monday, January 6, 2014

OSU-Pumice Pit sinks deeper

New signage for OSU-Pumice Pit

Now that the first report is out that says the land for the future OSU branch campus in Bend is likely unsuitable for erecting university-type buildings, the OSU brain trust sees this as proof to build the school on a former pumice pit.

Well, they've already paid $12 million for the land that no one else would buy at any price.

OSU-Pumice Pit is almost a certainty.

But, the hope of welcoming its first class by 2015 at the westside campus is a bit premature.

They'll be busy repairing any buildings by then.

In fact, OSU-Pumice Pit could be an ongoing engineering experiment to show how constructing classrooms on unstable land leads to unusable buildings.

The problem is that they've only budgeted about $8 million to prep the site for buildings when it will need that and more on a yearly basis.

Taxpayers statewide are now saddled with a project that was designed to enrich a handful of landowners while providing construction jobs in perpetuity for a handful of construction companies.

It's a sweet gig for the powers that be in Bend.

In fact, these powers should teach a course at OSU-Pumice Pit titled "How to rip off the government and be considered pillars of the community."

Of course, these same folks will also demand a course be taught on how pension plans of public employees are destroying our economy and depleting our public coffers.

Since most citizens in Bend do not want OSU to build on a pumice pit, the fledgling school will have a tough time reaching out to the broader community for continuing economic support.

Afterall, if those that sold the pumice pit to OSU really cared about higher education in Bend, they would have donated the land.

But, they didn't because that is no longer the American way.

The mantra now is: Ask not what you can do for your government, ask how your government can take money from the many to give to the few.

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Bend, Oregon weather

The view from Bend, Oregon

Bend may be the middle of nowhere, but that's how we like it. While the city has pockets of progressives here and there, the town leans right. But the tide is turning. And, as a true left-hander, I welcome the change.